Advaita Vedanta

Advaita Vedanta is a school of Hindu philosophy and religious practice, and one of the classic Indian paths to spiritual realization.Advaita (Sanskrit; not-two, "no second") refers to the idea that the true Self, Atman, is the same as the highest Reality, Brahman. It gives "a unifying interpretation of the whole body of Upanishads", providing scriptural authority for the postulation of the nonduality of Atman and Brahman. Followers seek liberation/release by acquiring vidyā (knowledge) of the identity of Atman and Brahman. It emphasizes Jivanmukta, the idea that moksha (freedom, liberation) is achievable in this life.

Advaita Vedanta is the oldest extant sub-school of Vedanta – one of six schools of orthodox darśanas (philosophies, world views, teachings). The school uses concepts such as Brahman, Atman, Maya and others that are found in major Indian religious traditions, but interprets them in its own way for its theories of moksha. Advaita Vedanta traces its roots in the oldest Upanishads, with Bādarāyaṇa’s Brahma Sutra consolidating the central premises of this tradition. The principal, though not the first, exponent of the Advaita Vedanta-interpretation was Adi Shankara in the 8th century, who systematised the works of preceding philosophers.